2020-01-01
The Czech National Bank issued Decree No. 199/2020 Coll. to regulate specimen application forms and technical requirements for various pension management company activities. The decree mandates detailed submissions regarding senior officer trustworthiness, qualified holding acquisitions, and strategic plans for authorization, consent, and merger applications. It further specifies the essential elements and formats for applications concerning independent intermediaries and participation funds.
DECREE No. 199/2020 Coll. of 20 April 2020 on applications pursuant to the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings Pursuant to Article 170 of Act No. 427/2011 Coll., on Supplementary Pension Savings, as amended by Act No. 403/2012 Coll., Act No. 241/2013 Coll., and Act No. 119/2020 Coll., the Czech National Bank stipulates the following to implement Article 33(3), Article 35(5), Article 39(4), Article 44(1), Article 65(1), Article 69(4), Article 77b(1), Article 96(5), Article 97(8)(c), Article 109(6), Article 111(2) and Article 113(8): Article 1 Subject of regulation (1) This Decree regulates a specimen application form and the content of its annexes if an applicant applies for a) an authorisation to perform the activities of a pension management company; b) a registration of further activities of a pension management company; c) a consent to the performance of duties of a senior officer of a pension management company; d) a consent to the acquisition of or increase in a qualified holding in a pension management company so that it reaches or exceeds 20%, 30% or 50%, or to taking control of a pension management company; e) a permit for the merger of pension management companies; f) a withdrawal of an authorisation to perform the activities of a pension management company; g) a permit to establish a participation fund; h) an approval of and changes to the statute of a participation fund; i) a consent to the transfer of the management of all participation funds to another pension management company; j) a withdrawal of a permit to establish a participation fund; and k) a permit to merge participation funds. (2) This Decree also regulates the details of the essential elements of an application for an authorisation to perform the activities of an independent intermediary, its formats and other technical requirements. Article 2 Definition of terms For the purposes of this Decree, the following definitions shall apply: a) document on having no criminal record issued by a foreign country means a document similar to an extract from the Criminal Register, not more than 3 months old, issued by the foreign country
2 2. in which the foreign legal entity has or in the last 3 years had its registered office, as well as by any foreign country in which the foreign legal entity, or the legal entity having its registered office in the Czech Republic, has or in the last 3 years had a commercial establishment or a branch, or in which it performed its activities or had its assets, provided that the laws of that foreign country provide for criminal liability of legal entities; b) documents for an assessment of trustworthiness mean a document on having no criminal record issued by a foreign country, an affidavit of the legal capacity of the natural person, an affidavit containing the information necessary for the purposes of obtaining an extract from the Criminal Register of the natural person and information and documents on the previous activities of the person in the last 10 years and which relates in particular to
3 2. documents on the income earned in the last 3 years and summary information on assets and liabilities, provided that a natural person is concerned; e) regulated institution means an entity whose line of business is similar to the business of a bank, a credit union, an investment firm, an insurance company, a reinsurance company, a payment institution, an electronic money institution, a payment account information administrator or an entity whose line of business is some other regulated activity performed on the financial market if that entity has its registered office in another Member State and is subject to supervision in the country in which it has its registered office; f) strategic plan means a plan which includes
4 activities on the financial market, a description of the activities performed and the scope of powers and responsibilities related to these activities, including the number of persons managed; 4. a specification of the period of time during which the activities pursuant to item 3 above have been or were performed; and 5. a consent to the performance of the working assignment required pursuant to other legal regulations if such a consent was necessary; i) information on education means
5 position in that legal entity concurrently with the position of a senior officer of the applicant and whether this position is that of an executive or non-executive member; 5. a description of financial and personnel relations between this person and the applicant and the applicant’s other senior officers, the applicant’s controlling entity and the senior officers of this entity if it is a legal entity, and shareholders with a qualified holding in the applicant; 6. the proposed position of a senior officer in the organisational structure of the applicant and a brief description of the duties to be performed in terms of the powers and responsibilities entrusted; and e) information on closely related persons. (3) Annexes containing information on persons with a qualified holding, on persons who are to acquire a qualified holding in the applicant through acting in concert with another person, and on the controlling entity shall include a) a list of persons with a qualified holding in the applicant and of persons that are to acquire a qualified holding in the applicant through acting in concert with another person, and of the controlling entity, and a graphic representation of relations between those persons; for persons acting in concert also a specification of the fact on the basis of which they act in concert and, if the applicant is to become controlled, a description of the fact on the basis of which a person is to become an entity controlling the applicant; b) for each of the persons specified in subparagraph a) above
6 identification data of the person, the line of business, the designation of the position held and the term of performance of the duties in that legal entity; and 11. a description of financial and personnel relations between this person and the applicant and, if applicable, members of the group to which the applicant belongs, the applicant’s senior officers and the applicant’s other shareholders; c) a list of a legal entity’s senior officers pursuant to subparagraph a) above and for each of the senior officers
7 management system; 2. rules for the prudent performance of the activities of a pension management company; and 3. rules of conduct in the performance of the activities of a pension management company; d) a list of persons who, as heads of organisational departments or as independent persons, will ensure
8 management company (Article 39(4) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings) An application for a consent to the performance of duties of a senior officer of a pension management company shall be submitted on a form, the specimen of which is provided in the Annex to this Decree to which the applicant shall attach the identification data of the person who is to become a senior officer of a pension management company, and in respect of this senior officer a) documents for an assessment of trustworthiness; b) a curriculum vitae, containing information on education and information on professional experience; if a senior officer participates in activities pursuant to Article 74(1) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings, also a certificate of completion of a professional examination pursuant to this Act; c) the proposed position of a senior officer in the organisational structure of a pension management company and a brief description of the duties the senior officer is to perform in terms of the powers and responsibilities entrusted; and d) a summary of positions performed in elected bodies and other positions in other legal entities to which the senior officer was appointed or otherwise named in the last 10 years and the identification data of each of those legal entities, the line of business, the designation of the position performed and the term of performance of the duties, and also a specification as to whether the senior officer intends to perform the given position in that legal entity concurrently with the position of a senior officer of a pension management company and whether the position is that of an executive or non-executive member; and e) a description of financial and personnel relations between this person and a pension management company and the other senior officers of the pension management company, the controlling entity of the pension management company and the senior officers of this controlling entity if it is a legal entity, and shareholders with a qualified holding in a pension management company; (2) If the organisational structure of a pension management company, including the competence of the current senior officers, is to be changed in connection with a change in a senior officer, the application shall include an updated organisational structure. (3) Where documents on having no criminal record pursuant to Article 2(a) above are not issued by a foreign country, annexes to the application form shall include a confirmation on having no criminal record of the person concerned, verified by a court, an authority authorised for that purpose or a notary of the relevant foreign country. Article 5 Application for the registration of further activities of a pension management company (Article 35(5) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings) An application for the registration of further activities of a pension management company pursuant to Article 35(1)(a) to (d) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings shall be submitted on a form, the specimen of which is provided in the Annex to this Decree to which the applicant shall attach a) a specification of the further activities pursuant to Article 35(1)(a) to (d) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings, in respect of which the applicant is applying for registration;
9 b) estimated impacts of the further activities on a pension management company’s activities; c) draft internal regulations reflecting the performance of further activities, particularly the internal regulations governing the procedures for risk management and assessment and the measures in place to reduce such risks; d) an analysis of the various types of crisis situations in the performance of further activities that may have an adverse impact on the proper provision of services, and the procedures in place for the resolution of such situations; e) documents pursuant to Article 35(6) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings if the activities specified in Article 35(1)(a) or (c) of this Act are to be performed; and f) a document authorising the performance of further activities subject to registration issued by the competent authority, unless this authority is the Czech National Bank. Article 6 Application for a consent to the acquisition of or increase in a qualified holding in a pension management company or for a consent to control same (Article 44(1) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings) (1) An application for a consent to the acquisition of or increase in a qualified holding in a pension management company so that it reaches or exceeds 20%, 30% or 50%, or to taking control of this entity, shall be submitted on a form, the specimen of which is provided in the Annex to this Decree to which the applicant shall attach a) identification data of the person for the pension management company in which a qualified holding is to be acquired or increased or which is to be controlled; b) information on the extent of interest held by the applicant as of the date of lodging the application, information on the newly acquired and the resulting extent of interest or a description of some other form of exercising significant influence over the management of the pension management company, including a specification as to whether the interest is acquired directly or indirectly; in the case of an indirect holding, an identification of the person through whom the interest is acquired; c) if the applicant is a legal entity, identification data for the 10 largest partners according to their share of the voting rights or for all partners if the entity has fewer than 10, and information on the extent of their share of the voting rights; d) if the applicant is a legal entity or a natural person who is an entrepreneur, an extract from the commercial register of the applicant or from some other similar register of entrepreneurs no more than 3 months old; e) the applicant’s financial statements and other documents attesting to the origin of the financial resources from which the acquisition of or increase in a qualified holding is to be financed; f) documents for an assessment of trustworthiness of the applicant; g) a document relating to the acquisition of or increase in a qualified holding by the applicant; h) a strategic plan; i) a summary of legal entities of which the applicant is the controlling entity or over the management of which it exercises significant influence and, for each of those legal entities, identification data, the line of business and information on the extent of interest or a description of some other form of exercising significant influence over the management of that legal entity;
10 j) a summary of positions performed in elected bodies and other positions in any other legal entities to which the applicant was appointed or otherwise named in the last 10 years, and for each of those legal entities, the identification data, the line of business, the designation of the position and the term of performance of the duties in that legal entity; k) a description of financial and personnel relations between the applicant and a pension management company or the individual members of the group to which that pension management company belongs, and the senior officers and current shareholders of the pension management company; l) a list of the applicant’s senior officers if the applicant is a legal entity, and for each senior officer
11 the Czech Republic in the activities of a pension management company and on the possible exchange of information necessary for the supervision of the pension management company. (2) An applicant who is a regulated institution may submit, instead of the documents specified in item 3 of subparagraphs f) and l) of paragraph 1 above, a confirmation issued by the supervisory authority of the country in which the applicant has its registered office to the effect that this person is subject to its supervision, it has verified its trustworthiness and that it has no recent findings indicating its untrustworthiness. (3) Where documents on having no criminal record pursuant to Article 2(a) above are not issued by a foreign country, annexes to the application form shall include a confirmation on having no criminal record of the person concerned, verified by a court, an authority authorised for that purpose or a notary of the given foreign country. (4) If there is a change in senior officer of a pension management company in connection with the acquisition of or increase in a qualified holding in the pension management company or its control, the applicant shall proceed in accordance with Article 4(1). Article 7 An application for a permit for merger of pension management companies (Article 65(1) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings) (1) An application for a permit for merger of pension management companies shall be submitted on a form, the specimen of which is provided in the Annex to this Decree to which the applicant shall attach a) a list of companies involved in the merger, including the identification number; b) information on the amount of registered capital, the amount of registered capital that has been paid up, including the quantity, amount and subject of the individual contributions by which the registered capital has been subscribed or paid up, and the quantity, nominal value and form of shares of the successor company and information on whether those shares will be issued as paper or book-entry shares; c) a list of senior officers of the successor company, including identification data and a specification of the positions that they shall perform, and for each senior officer
12 5. a description of financial and personnel relations between this person and the successor company and the other senior officers of the successor company and shareholders with a qualified holding in the successor company; d) the project in respect of a merger of pension management companies pursuant to the act governing transformations of commercial companies and cooperatives, information pursuant to Article 65(2) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings, and also a description of the impacts of the merger on the rights and funds of supplementary pension scheme planholders, and on the performance of the activities of the successor pension management company and the performance of activities related to the activities of that pension management company in terms of compliance with their prudent performance; e) joint reports of the statutory bodies or reports of the statutory bodies of the companies involved in the merger or, if applicable, consents to such reports not being prepared; f) an expert report or reports containing an expert opinion in respect of the essential elements of the project pursuant to Article 65(3) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings; g) closing financial statements of the companies involved and the opening balance sheet of the successor company and the auditor’s reports on their verification, or interim financial statements and the auditor’s reports on their verification; and h) a specification of the groups of persons between which and the successor company a close relationship shall be established as a result of the merger, identification data of the persons that are to acquire a qualified holding in the successor company as a result of the merger and information on the extent of interest or a description of some other form of exercising significant influence over the management of the successor company. (2) Where documents on having no criminal record pursuant to Article 2(a) are not issued by a foreign country, annexes to the application form shall include a confirmation on having no criminal record of the person concerned, verified by a court, an authority authorised for that purpose or a notary of the given foreign country. Article 8 Application for a permit to establish a participation fund (Article 96(5) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings) (1) An application for a permit to establish a participation fund shall be submitted on a form, the specimen of which is provided in the Annex to this Decree to which the applicant shall attach a) the name of the participation fund to be established; b) a list of senior officers of a pension management company who are to manage the participation fund, and for each senior officer
13 f) the depository agreement, or a draft thereof, along with a written promise of the depository to enter into this agreement or, if applicable, the agreement on a future agreement entered into with a bank or a branch of a foreign bank that shall perform the activities of the depository for the participation fund; g) a curriculum vitae, containing information on the education and professional experience of the head of the depository’s organisational department or, if applicable, of other persons who are to ensure the performance of the activities of the depository for the participation fund; and h) annexes pursuant to Article 3, which are affected by the changes relating to the management of the relevant fund(s) in respect of which the permit is being applied for. Article 9 Application for a consent to the transfer of the management of all participation funds to another pension management company (Article 109(6) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings) (1) An application for a consent to the transfer of the management of all participation funds to another pension management company shall be submitted on a form, the specimen of which is provided in the Annex to this Decree to which the applicant shall attach a) a description of the conditions under which and manner in which the participation funds are to be transferred to another pension management company, including a specification of
14 i) annexes pursuant to Article 3, which are affected by the changes in the acquiring pension management company in connection with the transfer of the management of all participation funds. Article 10 Application for a permit for merger of participation funds (Article 113(8) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings) An application for a permit for merger of participation funds shall be submitted on a form, the specimen of which is provided in the Annex to this Decree to which the applicant shall attach a) information on the participation funds in respect of which a permit for merger is being applied for, containing the name of the merged fund, the name of the acquiring fund and the effective date of the merger; b) identification data for each pension management company managing the participation funds which are to be merged; c) the project of the merger, including the impacts of the merger on investment limits; d) a statement issued by the depository of the participation funds involved; e) information on the merged participation funds, at least on the amount, structure and liquidity of the assets, the number of planholders, performance, the investment focus and the structure of the required contributions for each merged participation fund; and f) information on the current amount of the equity capital of the pension management company which is to manage the acquiring participation fund and the current amount of the assets of the participation funds managed by this pension management company; Article 11 Application for an approval of and changes to the statute of a participation fund; (Article 97(8) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings) (1) An application for an approval of and changes to the statute of a participation fund shall be submitted on a form, the specimen of which is provided in the Annex to this Decree to which the applicant shall attach a) the applicable and unabridged text of the statute indicating the proposed changes, along with their justification; and b) the new unabridged text of the statute. Article 12 Application for a withdrawal of an authorisation to perform the activities of a pension management company (Article 69(4) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings) An application for a withdrawal of an authorisation to perform the activities of a pension management company shall be submitted on a form, the specimen of which is provided in the Annex to this Decree to which the applicant shall attach the minutes of the decision of the general meeting to dissolve the pension management company through liquidation, including the decision to propose the nomination of the liquidator of the pension management company,
15 or the decision of a court to dissolve the pension management company through liquidation, and also documents attesting to the settlement of liabilities towards planholders; Article 13 Application for a withdrawal of a permit to establish a participation fund (Article 111(2) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings) An application for a withdrawal of a permit to establish a participation fund shall be submitted on a form, the specimen of which is provided in the Annex to this Decree to which the applicant shall attach a) a specification of the participation fund which is to be dissolved and whose permit is to be withdrawn, including the identification data of the depository and the liquidator; b) a justification of the application, including the decision of the competent authority to dissolve the participation fund; c) the financial statements of the participation fund as at the last day of the calendar month preceding the lodging of the application; this shall be without prejudice to the obligation pursuant to Article 110(2) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings. d) a summary of unsettled liabilities arising from the management of the assets in the participation fund; e) information on the structure and liquidity of the assets in the participation fund; f) information on the number of planholders and the total value of planholders’ funds; g) a pension management company’s draft notification to planholders on the intention to dissolve the participation fund; and h) the proposed manner of the sale of the assets in the participation fund and the settlement of its receivables and liabilities. Article 14 Application for an authorisation to perform the activities of an independent intermediary (Article 77b(1) of the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings) (1) The details of the essential elements of an application for an authorisation to perform the activities of an independent intermediary shall, in addition to the essential elements stipulated in the Administrative Procedure Code, including annexes attesting to compliance with the conditions for performing the activities of an independent intermediary stipulated in the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings, include a) a document on a business licence similar to an extract from the commercial register or from some other similar register of entrepreneurs not more than 3 months old if the applicant is a foreign legal entity that intends to perform the activities of an independent intermediary through a branch in the Czech Republic, and the identification of the person who may act on behalf of the applicant, and the scope and manner of such conduct, unless it is clear from the extract submitted; b) documents for an assessment of trustworthiness of
16 education, and also a certificate of completion of a professional examination pursuant to the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings pertaining to
17 (2) The applicant is not required to submit the information or documents required by this Decree, provided that they are publicly available in their current form in public administration information systems. 1) Article 17 Effect This Decree shall take effect on 1 May 2020. Governor p.p. Marek Mora Deputy Governor
1 For instance, Act No. 304/2013 Coll., on Public Registers of Legal Entities and Natural Persons, and on the Trust Funds Register, as amended; Act No. 455/1991 Coll., on Trade and Entrepreneurial Activities, as amended.
18 Annex to Decree No. /2020 Coll. SPECIMEN Application pursuant to Act No. 427/2011 Coll., on Supplementary Pension Savings, as amended. I. ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY
19 III. APPLICATION 3. Subject of the application application for an authorisation to perform the activities of a pension management company application for a consent to the performance of duties of a senior officer of a pension management company application for the registration of further activities application for a consent to the acquisition of or increase in a qualified holding in a pension management company so that it reaches or exceeds 20%, 30% or 50%, or to taking control of a pension management company consent to the acquisition of a qualified holding consent to the increase in a qualified holding consent to control application for a permit for the merger of pension management companies application for a withdrawal of an authorisation to perform the activities of a pension management company application for a permit to establish a participation fund application for an approval of the statute of a participation fund and changes therein application for a consent to the transfer of the management of all participation funds to another pension management company application for a permit for the merger of participation funds withdrawal of a permit to establish a participation fund IV. LIST OF ANNEXES 4. A numbered list of annexes to this application pursuant to this Decreed/ or, if applicable, to other legislation or for the purposes of the proceedings; for each annex provide a link to the relevant provision of the Decree and, where more than one annex is submitted in respect of the same matter, state the number submitted (also indicate the numbers on the annexes themselves; if an annex is made up of more than one document, in addition to numbering them, mark them with letters) Annex No. Name of annex Number
20 V. DECLARATION I hereby declare that the information given in the application and the annexes is true, current and complete. VI. IDENTIFICATION OF OTHER PERSONS This application is submitted by the applicant 5. Identification of the person authorised to act on behalf of the applicant Position Name(s) and surname/Company namef/ Birth certificate number/Date of birtha//Identification number of a personb/ Address of residence/registered office in the form municipality, municipal district, street, house number, orientation number, orientation letter, postcode, country Mailing addressc/ if different from the address given above, in the form municipality, municipal district, street, house number, orientation number, orientation letter, postcode, country This application shall be submitted by the applicant’s representative
21 6. Identification of the person representing the applicant if the applicant is represented by a proxy on the basis of a power of attorney. Information on the representativeg/ Name(s) and surname/Company namef/ Birth certificate number/Date of birtha / Identification number of a personb/ Address of residence/registered office in the form municipality, municipal district, street, house number, orientation number, orientation letter, postcode, country Mailing addressc/ if different from the address given above, in the form municipality, municipal district, street, house number, orientation number, orientation letter, postcode, country Other optional information Specific information that will speed up contact with you if necessary and the resolution of possible problems (data box ID, e-mail, phone number) Place Date Name and surname of the applicant/person acting on behalf of the applicant and signature
a/ Indicate if no birth certificate number has been assigned. b/ Indicate if a birth certificate number has been assigned. c/ Article 19(4) of the Administrative Procedure Code. d/ Decree on applications pursuant to the Act on Supplementary Pension Savings. a) Article 30(1) of the Administrative Procedure Code in conjunction with Article 21 of the Civil Procedure Code. f/ A legal entity shall also specify the natural person acting on its behalf (name, surname, position or working assignment). g/ For instance a lawyer, a notary or a general proxy.